


Play Me An Anti-Love Song

by dementorsatemysoup



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Arthur And Merlin Are Roommates, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Slash, Pushy Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 11:13:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3527168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dementorsatemysoup/pseuds/dementorsatemysoup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Imagine Merlin moping over some ex and Arthur dragging him out to the pub because he’s sick of his best friend sighing over tea in the apartment. And there’s this band playing and the lead guitarist Gwaine almost messes up one of their songs because he sees Merlin ordering drinks and is like “whoa”. And Gwaine ends up making the band finish early because the cute guy is about to leave and he just has to go talk to him first." --alloverthegaf</p><p>((Pretty much I 'borrow' my friend's headcanon and write her a fic because she's awesome))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play Me An Anti-Love Song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DancingForRain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingForRain/gifts).



> Feel better soon Nic :)
> 
> Thanks for reading and drop me a comment if you can.
> 
> BYE!!!
> 
> P.S. I'm sorry I made Gwaine the lead singer, but he plays guitar too so I believe it should count ((Once again, very sorry))

He’s just sitting there, staring into his Captain America mug, like he does every single Friday night, and Arthur cannot take it anymore. He cannot take the moping, the longing sighs, the sad freaking music that pounds through the thin walls. He is done with it all, so very done, and there’s only one thing left for him to do; he’s got to get Merlin laid.

He grabs Merlin’s jacket off the back of the couch, tossing it at his head, and says, “Put that on. We’re going out.”

Merlin’s jacket slides to the floor when he turns a to glare at Arthur, and he grumbles, “I don’t want to go out.”

“Too bad.” Arthur shrugs his blue bomber jacket on, digging into his pocket for his keys. “We’re going out. Put your shoes on.”

“Arthur…”

“ _Mer_ lin…”

The two roommates stare at each other for a long, tense moment, but finally Merlin scoffs and gets to his feet. “Fine. Whatever.”

He storms down the hall to his bedroom, flipping Arthur off when the blond calls, “This will be good for you! Help you get over Whatsherface!”

* * *

“Mate, mate, mate, you’re playing the chord all wrong.” Gwaine steals the guitar from Leon, ignoring his protests, and says, “You’re not being _cool_  enough. It’s like this…” he does a weird, complex motion with his wrist, strumming the guitar easily with his fingers. “You look like a dad who’s just started playing.”

“I  _am_  a dad who’s just started playing,” Leon points out moodily, snatching his guitar back from the Irishman. “This gig is a terrible idea.”

“Nonsense.” Gwaine waves his hand placidly, unconcerned by Leon’s worries. They know like ten songs; they’ll be fine.

“Who are we replacing tonight?” Percival asks from the corner, twirling his drumstick between his fingers.

“Uh, The Druids,” Elyan replies glancing over their set list for the fifth time.

“They’re good,” Leon comments absentmindedly strumming his guitar. “I heard they opened for The Last Dragonlords back in ‘99.”

“Jesus.” Percival shakes his head, giving Gwaine a worried look. “These people are expecting a show.”

“And they’re getting us,” Leon states, giving Gwaine a deadpan look.

Gwaine shrugs noncommittally. “We’ll be fine.”

Someone knocks on the door and Lancelot pokes his head into the room, his eyes seeking out Gwaine. “You guys are going on in thirty seconds.” He leaves the door open as he walks away.

“Gods give us strength,” Percival says getting to his feet. Elyan and Leon nod in agreement while Gwaine leads them out on the stage.

He picks up his guitar, listening to the murmuring among the crowd, and flashing a smile at Leon. The other man tries to return it, but it looks more like a grimace, and Gwaine shrugs.

“Ladies and gentleman,” he calls through the microphone, and the crowd gradually grows silent, everyone looking over at him and his band. “We are The Knights of Camelot!”

“One, two, three,” Percival counts, knocking his sticks together, and they break out into a Ramones song.

* * *

“They’re not bad!” Arthur calls over the music, handing Merlin another beer. The brunet nods vaguely, putting the unopened beer down next to the other one, leaning back in his chair. He wants to go home, but Arthur has the car keys and he can’t afford a cab.

“Come on! Buck up!” Arthur waits for Merlin to respond, but when he doesn’t the blond scoffs and gets to his feet. “I’m going to go dance!”

Merlin watches Arthur disappear into the crowd, rocking back and forth in his chair. He tries not to think about Freya but fails. She would have liked this band, this type of music her favorite, and Merlin would have liked it because  _she_  liked it. In fact, thinking about it, most of the things Merlin ‘liked’ had been because Freya liked them. Maybe Arthur is right, maybe he does need to move on, but he also knows not to tell the blond; his ego doesn’t need a boost.

The band finishes up their first song and immediately begins playing a song by Jet. Merlin snatches one of the beers off the table, peeling at the label, wondering why Arthur drags him to places like _these_. He doesn’t  _do_  the pub thing, has no interest in it, and nothing is going to change that; not even a blond prat who thinks his roommate needs to get laid.

Merlin suddenly feels eyes on him and his chair smacks into the floor. He looks around, eyebrows furrowed, silently wondering if Arthur is doing that creepy thing where he tries to read Merlin’s mind (it wouldn’t be the first time), but he catches sight of Arthur dancing with some brunette girl (and by dancing, he’s basically just jumping up and down like an idiot).

Shaking the feeling off, figuring he’s imagining it, Merlin tunes back into the band. They’re just finishing up their second song, only to replace it with the familiar notes to a Killers song pounding from the speakers, and suddenly the eyes are upon him again.

The lead singer is looking directly at him, playing the song as if he had meant for _only_ Merlin to hear it, and when their eyes meet the guy suddenly losing his place, a loud screeching sound emitting from the microphone. The crowd reacts to the feedback immediately, several people covering their ears, and the drummer quickly apologizes. “Sorry about that folks, but we’re going to take a five minute break.”

* * *

 Leon ushers Gwaine off the stage, all four men hurrying towards the small dressing room, and he all but shoves the singer onto the musty couch in the corner.

“What is going one with you?” Leon demands hovering over him, his hands on his hips, his ‘disapproving dad’ look on his face.

“Guys,” Gwaine starts looking at each one of his band mates, “I’m in love.”

“Fuck the gods,” Elyan mutters as Percival rolls his eyes.

“What? It’s true.” Gwaine gives them all an aghast look, needing them to understand that this isn’t infatuation love. This is ‘I need to talk to that cute guy right now’ love. There’s a difference. He doesn’t know what it is yet, but there is one.

“Can you, I don’t know, be in love tomorrow night?” Elyan asks curiously, running a hand through his hair. “Or maybe  _after_  the set?”

“Yeah, I’m sure whoever you’re ‘in love’ with will be here after the show.” For the record, Gwaine does not appreciate the quotey fingers Leon does around the ‘in love’ part.

He huffs but nods, getting to his feet. He leads his band back onto the stage, collecting his guitar from its stand, and walks up to the microphone. “Sorry about that folks.”

He starts the opening chords to an Oasis song, very much aware of his band following suit, but he’s barely paying attention to the song. He’s trying to find the guy, but he’s not sitting at his table anymore nor is he by the bar. In fact, it seems like he has left the building completely, and Gwaine can’t help feeling a little dejected.

He’s about to give up, figuring it’s one of those cases of missed opportunity, but then he spots the guy heading towards the door. He stops playing, removing his guitar, and leaves it on the floor as he jumps off the stage.

He shoves his way through the crowd, ignoring the grumbling that follows him, and races after the guy. They make it to the door at the same time, and Gwaine reaches out, grabbing the guy’s shoulder.

He turns, surprised yet intrigued, and Gwaine says, “I’m Gwaine.”

The guy huffs, fighting a smile, “Merlin.”

“How about we get out of here, Merlin?”

“What about your band?”

He glances over his shoulder, catching Leon’s eyes. and the blond rolls his eyes but shrugs, gesturing for him to go, and Gwaine grins. He looks back at Merlin and states, “They seems fine with it.”

Shaking his head, his lips quirking up in a smile, Merlin nods towards the door. “There’s a diner, about a block from here, serves breakfast all day.”

Shrugging, Gwaine says, “I could eat.”

((The Knights of Camelot do not get paid for the gig, but Gwaine does get a second date with the cute guy, so he calls it a win… the rest of the band does not))


End file.
